What was the bigger influence for the last bike, or frame, that you purchased from your local bike shop: the brand name on the down tube, or the brand name on the awning? Maybe for most folks, it’s not an absolutely A or B situation? Though, I’ve certainly sold my share of bikes to someone coming fresh through the front door looking for a specific make, model, and size that we happened to have in stock. And, the same can be said about folks open-mindedly shopping for the best bicycle for their application with no bike brand loyalty as well. 

In 2022, more than ever, this question really matters. In the greater Vancouver area, and I think everywhere. Since the start of the year, at least five long-time independently owned bike shops in the GVRD have been purchased by their suppliers. Trek, who previously bought a few Cap’s stores in 2017, and Specialized are tossing around the money ball right now but keep in mind that locally Norco and Giant also own bike shops. Down in the USA, there are an increasing number of PON shops. Kona owns a brand store too and the company was just purchased so who knows what their expansion will look like? The landscape is in motion. 

If the IBD (independent bicycle dealer) you’re buying from sells bikes from one, or more, of these brands then there are possibilities you need to consider in terms of getting the full value of dealer support with your bicycle. There’s a real chance they will end up owned by one of the bike brands they sell and selling exclusively that brand. And, if you bought a different bike model that they carry you’d likely be cut adrift in terms of getting manufacturer support. 

For a real-world example, if you purchased your Specialized at one of twelve Mike’s Bikes locations you would now have to go to a different shop, that you may not have chosen to deal with, if you need any brand-specific support – proprietary parts, warranty, etc. The same, but opposite, would be true if you purchased your Santa Cruz at a local shop that has been purchased by Specialized. 

The trickle of IBDs being sold to suppliers will increase into a cascade driven by a combination of carrot and stick. Owners planning to get out of the game will see their best chance to sell their business for top dollar. Owners who would rather keep doing what they’re doing will have to manage the threat of competing with their largest suppliers as those who refuse to sell find brand-specific stores being opened in the neighbourhood anyway or even having their ‘A’ brands pulled from them. 

Companies with adequate cash flow are going to feel pressure to start buying dealers. If, for example, Norco loses four shops currently stocking their bikes that makes for a significant reworking of the local cycling scene both in terms of selling bikes but also supporting them regionally to current customers. There are significant risks associated with opening a new IBD, aside from inventory, and, it seems, a decreasing number of good shops that are independent. With a smaller company like Pivot, Yeti, or Transition it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be seeing them buying up bike shops but what happens when the shop is bought by a brand they share the floor with? 

I doubt any smaller brand would deny that a big part of their success comes from the folks on the ground selling and supporting their bicycles. At some point will the local market be divided into an A-B mix of big brands’ stores and independents carrying an alphabet soup of smaller lineups without a mainstream all-encompassing lineup from the likes of Trek, Kona, or Specialized? I’ll argue that many established IBDs, which stay IBDs, will be seeing extensive changes to their bicycle lineups over the next few years. 

The dark horses are the mid-sized brands, like Rocky Mountain/ProCycle, or Marin Bikes, and even the globally huge concerns with a smaller North American footprint, like Scott Sports. If for example, you lose your only dealer in a city of 150,000 people there are limited ways to come in and support your current customers. You can partner with a new shop. You can encourage an existing next-city-over dealer to open up an additional location. You can open your own branded store. 

We’re in a time of great change in the bicycle world with companies both big and small being swallowed up and there are changes happening on every level of the industry. If you really like bikes from a certain brand and aren’t picky about the shop you deal with this is all unlikely to affect you. If you prefer dealing with a certain local shop, more than having any loyalty to a specific line of bikes they sell, you may want to add a level of consideration to your next bicycle purchase. 

Yes, they could end up sold to one of their suppliers, but if they choose to ride their own course then it’s more likely that they’ll lose access to bikes from the said large company. In that case, you may choose to buy a brand of bicycles (larger or smaller) that doesn’t have any history of running its own retail outfits.